Information for Prospective Students
Download
Fees and Funding
UK & EU Fee
£9,000 (2013/14)
Overseas Fee
£19,500 (2013/14)
General Funding Notes
Details about financial support are available at: www.ucl.ac.uk/study/ug-finance
Contacts
Admissions Tutor
Dr Chris Taylorson
Admissions Administrator
Ms Heather Beasley
Email: biosciences-admissions@ucl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 7169
Key Facts
Research Assessment Exercise
70% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
(What is the RAE?)
Departmental website
More Information
Biotechnology BSc
UCAS Code: C560
The Biotechnology BSc provides a sound base of chemistry, genetics, biochemistry and biochemical engineering alongside experience of the manipulative skills essential for future research, equipping you for a career in this exciting discipline, which has grown out of some of the most dramatic scientific discoveries of the last 30 years.
Entry Requirements
A Levels
| Grades | AAA |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Chemistry required plus one from Biology, Mathematics or Physics. |
| AS Levels | A pass in a further subject at AS level or equivalent is required. |
| GCSEs | English Language and Mathematics at grade B. For UK-based students, a grade C or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs |
IB Diploma
| Points | 38 |
|---|---|
| Subjects | A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects including Chemistry at grade 6, and one subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics, with no score below 5. |
Other Qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Selected entry requirements will appear here
International Qualifications
International Qualifications
In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.
University Preparatory Certificates
UCL offers intensive one-year foundation courses to prepare international students for a variety of degree programmes at UCL.
The University Preparatory Certificates (UPCs) are for international students of high academic potential who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree programmes at UCL and other top UK universities.
For more information see our website: www.ucl.ac.uk/upc
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language you will also need to satisfy UCL's English Language Requirements. A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Degree Summary
Degree Benefits
- The UCL Biotechnology BSc degree is one of only a few which provide biochemical engineering as a significant component of each of the three years of study.
- UCL is one of Europe's largest academic centres for research in biotechnology, with two major research units, the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Biochemical Engineering and Molecular Cell Biology, based here.
- You will have the opportunity to take a one year placement in industry; working in a suitable industrial or research laboratory before your final year of study.
- Our excellent resources include a computer graphics facility, fermenters for plant or animal cell culture and equipment for biomolecular structure analysis.
In the first year of the programme you will take compulsory core courses that are similar to those taken in the first year of other biological science programmes. In year two, you take a number of compulsory courses, but with some optional flexibility, which increases in year three.
You will also take certain compulsory courses in the Department of Biochemical Engineering.
You may also elect to spend an additional year, after year two, gaining invaluable experience in an industrial or research laboratory. Your project report from this year will count towards your degree.
The final year of your degree will focus principally on an individual research project.
Your Learning
Biotechnology is a practical science and you can expect to spend much of your time either in wet laboratories, where you will handle chemicals and biological materials, or in dry laboratories, where computer simulations and exercises are carried out.
The programme also includes lectures and small-group tutorials, and you will use an online learning site (Moodle) to support your studies.
Assessment
Your assessment will include a combination of examinations, coursework, practical work, tutorial work and presentations. Many courses have in-course tests (web-based or written) and all courses have an unseen final examination.
Degree Structure
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual courses, normally valued at 0.5 or 1.0 credits, adding up to a total of 4.0 credits for the year. Courses are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional courses varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 1.0 credit is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Year One
Year Two
Final Year
Further details available on degree page of subject website:
Your Career
You will acquire a range of specific and transferable skills, including time management and planning, technical laboratory skills such as manual dexterity and analysis of data, and skills in teamwork, negotiation and decision-making.
This BSc provides access to a wide variety of careers, and employment prospects are set to improve further over the next decade. Industry needs a large number of trained biotechnologists for the manufacture of biological products such as pharmaceuticals and speciality chemicals. Food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly embracing biotechnology. Growing environmental awareness and the increa
Destinations
First career destinations of recent graduates (2009-2011) of this programme include:
- Full-time student, MSc in Medical Microbiology at the London School of Hygeine & Tropical Medicine (2011)
- Project Assistant, Development Centre for Biotechnology (2010)
- Management Consultant, Deloitte (2010)
- Full-time student, MSc in Biochemical Engineering at UCL (2009)
- Full-time student, PhD in Cancer Studies at the Institute of Cancer Research (2009)
Find out more about London graduates' careers by visiting the Careers Group (University of London) website:
Application
Your Application
We use your predicted or achieved academic qualifications, your personal statement and reference to decide whether, if you are living in the UK, to invite you to interview. Evidence of sustained interest in science, such as involvement in a science debating society, and of activities that demonstrate your self-motivation and organisational skills, will be considered favourably.
How to Apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
At the one-to-one interview we will be looking to identify your ability to approach a scientific problem rather than simply recite learned facts. In addition to the interview you will attend an introductory talk about the degrees and student life, and will also be shown around the department and UCL.
As this degree programme is very challenging, it is vital to have a deep interest in the programme to succeed, and to convey this on your application.
Candidates living outside the UK will be considered on the basis of their application and are not required to attend an interview.
You may be asked to complete a short written exercise when you attend the interview. We will let you know beforehand if you are required to do this.
Request page update l Request printed information l Disclaimer
Page maintained by Publications and Marketing Services
